Apparatus for interrupting electric circuits.



w. COOPER.

APPARATUS FOR INTERRUPTING ELECTRIQCI RCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1912.

1,1 4, 26, Patented May 30,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Genera zok v WITNESSES: I INVENTOR ATTORNEY w. COOPER.

APPARATUS FOR INTERRUPTING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

WITNESSES:-

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1912..

Patented May 30,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR Arron/in.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFF- on. I

WILLIAM COOPER,- 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC-AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA-L Application filed February 23, 1912.- Serial No. 679,297.

v T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM CoornR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented v act in anticipation of. current disturbances on the circuit with which it is associated to interrupt the circuit before the current has suflicient time to attain a dangerous or destructive value.

Another object of my invention is to adapt a circuitinterrupter, of the character above specified, to prevent the flashing over of railway motors and other dynamo-electric machines of the commutator type.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a system of electric motor control with means, the operation of which is dependent upon the flashing over of one of the motors of atrai'n of electrically propelled vehicles and-serves to prevent the flashing over of the other train motors.

Overloads on.electric generating apparatus amounting to several times normal full load current are usually designated as short circuits. Theultimate value of the current in a shortcircuit and the time'required to reach that value are determined by the characteristics of the circuit.

Inpractice, allelectric circuits include in-- ductance and, therefore, a certain time is always required for the current to reach a maximum value.

' A circuit interrupter, as heretofore constructed, has usually been provided with a tripping mechanism which was dependent I upon a predetermined. abnormal current in the circuit and, consequently, it was practi cally impossible to interrupt the circuit before the current increased to a dangerous value. t p

According to my present invention, I provide a circuit interrupter which depends, not

upon an increase or a change of the current APPARATUS FOR INTERRUPTING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent. z Patnted Mayso, 1916 or of the voltage in a circuit to a predetermined value, but upon the rate of change of One or both of these elements.

When the resistance in the working circuit of a direct-current generator is suddenly reduced to a relatively small value, there is an instantaneous readjustment of the generated E. M. F. through the circuit in direct proportion to the inductance of the different parts of the circuit. This division of the E. M. F. is produced by a small instantaneous increase'in current. For example; if it is assumed that a generator is short circuited of the generator will drop to one-half its former value. At the same time, there will be an increase of currentin the. circuit. The drop in voltage at the generator terminals takes place in so short a time that it cannot be recorded by an oscillograph and the increase in current is so small that it cannot be read on an oscillograph record. Consequently, these changes are considered to be instantaneous.

If a short circuit on the generator terminals has practically no impedance, the voltage will, of course, drop to zero. Under these conditions also, the drop will be prac- 'tically instantaneous and the instantaneous increase in current will be very small. I

'I utilize the aforesaid instantaneous change in either the voltage o'rthe current in a circuit to actuate a circuit interrupter and to open the circuit before suflicient time has elapsed for the current that results from the instantaneous change in voltage to reach a dangerous or destructive value. I

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of an. electrical dis tributing system embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified arrangement which also embodies my invention. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a series of control systems representing a plurality of electric motor-driven cars or other railway vehicles which are operated in a train and illustrating the specific application of my invention to the protection of projection electric vehicle motors. Figs. 4 and 5 correspond toindividual sections of Fig. 3 and illustrate modified circuit arrangements em -movable contact member 6, an arm or lever -7, a latch 8, and a tripping magnet 9. The arm or lever 7 is pivotally' supported, at an intermediate/point in its length, on a pin 10 and carries the contact member 6 at its upper end.

A plunger 11 is pivotally connected to the arm or lever 7 and acts in box 12 to compress a helical spring 13 when the circuit interrupter is closed,

The latch 8 is pivotally mounted on a pin 14 and is held against a stop 15 by means.

of a spring 16. It is adapted to engage the lower end of the arm or lever 7 and to hold .the contact members 5' and 6 in engagement,

in opposition to the spring 13, when the interrupter is closed.

The primary winding 17 of a transformer 18 is connected across the terminals of the generator 1 in series with a resistor 19, and the secondary winding 20 of the same transformer, is connected to the terminals of-a coil 21, which forms a part of the tripping magnet 9. Y

The operation of the system is as follows: Assuming that the circuit interrupter is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, it will evidently remain closed until the latch 8 is either manually actuated or is tripped by a hammer 22 of the movable core member 23 of magnet 9. By reason of thefact that the transformer winding 17 is connected across the terminals of a source of direct current energy, the secondary winding 20 and the coil 21 will not be energized except when a relatively rapid change in voltage occurs at said terminals. The fact that the voltage is high or low or is varying has little or no eifect on the coil 21 unless the variation occurs very rapidly and, conse quently, the circuit interrupter will remain closed under all ordinary conditions of op eration. If, however, a low-resistance connection, such as is ordinarily designated as a short circuit, is established across the distributing circuit conductors 2 and 3, the first effect, as hereinbefore pointed out, is toproduce a practically instantaneous decrease in voltage at the generator terminals. Under ordinary conditions, this change of voltage is immediately followed by a very large increase in current, which is likely to injure the generator. With the arrangement illusa cylinder or trated, however, the coil 21 is so energized byreason of the instantaneous change in voltage as to actuate the latch 8 and permit the spring 13 to separate the contact members 5 and 6 with great rapidity. By this means, I am able to interrupt the circuit before the increasing current in the distributing circuit attains a dangerous or destructive value.

Referring to Fig. 2, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters as in Fig. l,'a transformer 24, which is substituted for the transformer 18, comprises a primary winding 25 connected in series with the distributing circuit of the generator 1, adjacent to one of the generator terminals and a secondary winding 26 connected to the coil 21 of tripping magnet 9.

The operation of the system shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that of Fig. 1, except that the transformer winding 26- and. the trip coil 21 are energized only when a very sudden change in current occurs in the distributing circuit instead of depending on a sudden change in the voltage across the generator terminals.

As hereinbefore stated, i the practically ered to be instantaneous and concurrent.

It is an appreciable time later that the current in the distributing circuit increases to a destructive value and, consequently, the

circuit interrupter has time to open the circuit before such a value is reached.

During the operation of dynamo-electric machines a very serious arc is sometimes established over the surface of the co" mutator bars between two groups of brus ies of opposite polarity. This phenomenon is usually known as a flash over and it has been attributed to various causes. It ismost likely to occur on railway motors when the tracks are covered with snow and sleet.

When a motor of a train ,of electric cars flashes over, the line voltage is suddenly reduced, and the current in the motor circuit is very suddenly reversed and then frequently attains a high value in the reverse direction. The fuses, which are usually located in the motor circuit are consequently character in the line voltage of a railway supply circuit produces a correspondingly sudden change in the voltage applied to other motors of the train on which the flash over occurred and to those of other trains or cars in the zone. affected by the line dis turbance.

The motors subjected to'the aforesaid voltage increase are very liable to flash over and, in some cases,'the line fuses onevery car of a train have, inthis'way, been ruptured at one time.

When a. dynamo-electric machine flashes over, a low-resistance-path or a short circuit is produced and considerable damage may be done before the fuses can interrupt the circuit. Even if'no damage results, the delay and annoyance of replacing the fuses is considerable.

By 'meansof my invention, it is possible to interrupt the circuit in a very short interval of'time after the first instantaneous variation in voltage or current is produced by the disturbance and thus avoid the above mentioned difficulties. I

An arrangement for applying my inveri- 1' tion to railway vehicles is illustrated in Fig..

3, to which reference may now be had. Each of the sections here shown comprises a trolley 'or other moving contact member 31 I which is adapted to engage a common sup-, .ply circuit conductor 32, aline switch or main. circuit interrupter 33, electric driving motors'34 and35, a transformer 36, a relay switch 37and a resistor 38.

'The electric driving'motors 34 and 35 may be governed by any well known hand operated or automatic controller,- but, since apparatus-of this character forms no part .of my present invention, I have shown a simple adjustable resistor 39.

circuit conductor 3:2 is connected to any suitable source of direct currentienergy (not shown), the circuit being completedthrough a track rail or other-return circuit conductor 40. r

The. primary winding of the transformer.

36 is connected'directly across the, circuit 32 4O and its secondary winding 41 is 'c0nnected to the terminals of a magnet winding 42 of the relay, switch 37. Inasmuch as the.

- primary winding of the transformer is connected across'a direct current c rcuit, no enrelay switch 37 is, consequently, deenergized ergy will be suppliedffrom' the secondary fwinding41of the transformer to the coil 42 except when such a sudden variation in the voltage of the. supply circuit as that produced' by a flash over, occurs.

Under normal operating conditions, the

and occupies its lower position in which it bridges a pair of contact members 43 and sfo completes a circuit from the trolley 31 through resistor 38, amagnet winding 44, a

" conductor'45, the switch 37: and a conductor coil 44, when energized,restrains a hammer 46 to the opposite line conductor 40, The

46 which is. adapted, when released, to for cibly open'the line switch 33. Consequently,

The supplythe line switch will be opened whenever the line circuit is temporarily interrupted or its voltage very materially reduced.

. The operation'of the system is as follows Assuming that the motor 34 flashes over, a very sudden diminution in the line voltage occurs which energizes the secondary wind- I ing 41 of the transformer 36 andraises the switch 37 by reason of the fact that current is supplied to the coil 42. When switch 37 is raised, a holding circuit is completed from,

, consequently, the line switches 33 of. the cars B and'C are opened, as well as the line switch 733 of the car-A.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the line switches on all cars of theqtrain are opened substantially together, although there is no mechanical or electrical interlocking connection between them. If a short circuit, or other disturbance, which eflects' an. instantaneous adjustment of the line voltage, is produced, the circuit interrupters will be actuated and a flash over on, any of the motors be prevented. If, "however, a

flash over isproduced asthe result of other causes, by the use of my invention the current traversing the arc will not'reach a dangerous value beforethe c1rcu1t.1s1nter- .rupted andother flash overs which would usually result are prevented.

As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, a

low-voltage release mechanism, correspondf ing to that described in connection with line switch 33 of Fig. 3, may alone berelied upon to interrupt the line sw1tches whenever a flash over occurs on one of the motors by reason of the very, material diminuw tion in the line voltage which'is' produced by'the flash over, but I prefer to depend.

on the rate of change of electromotive force rather than on the extentof change, sincethe .extent to which the line voltage is'varied will differ according as the car or train is close to or is remote from a feeder tap or other source of supply. For example: I havefound that when the cars are 'near a sub-station which supplies energy to the line, the line voltagedisturbance' producedby a flash 0ver 'does not always exceed the fluctuations n voltage occurring inservlce and resulting from other causes, but, in

every case, the change in voltage produced by a flash over on a motor is very rapid,

while normal fiuctuations'are comparatively 510w: The principal disadvantage in the use of the system of Fig. 4 arises from the fact that the currentsupplied to the first flash over may become destructive before the circuit is interrupted. It is, however, ef-

fective in preventing other flash overs from being produced as a result of the first. Assuming that the voltage on the line conductor 32 of Fig. 4 falls below a predetermined value, the coil 44 of the interrupter 33 will be so weakened as to release the hammer 46 and cause the interruption of the circuit.

In Fig. 5, a transformer 48 is substituted for the transformer 36 of Fig. 1. The primary winding 49 of transformer 48 is connected in series with the motor supply circuit and, consequently, its secondary windingis energized only when there is arapid fluctuation in the current in the motor cir-' cuit, such as results from a'fiash over on the motor, as hereinbefore pOlIltGd out.

The operation of the system of Fig. 5 is thesame as that of car A, Fig. 3.

I believe that my invention is broadly new and produces results not heretofore secured, and I therefore desire to cover, not only the specific arrangements shown and described,

but all others that may be devised for pro-' 2. The combination with a direct current electric circuit, a source of energy therefor and an interrupter for the circuit, of means dependent upon a predetermined relatively quick rate of electrical change in the for actuating the interrupter.

3. An interrupter for electric circuitscomprising means dependent upon a predetermined relatively quick rate'of change in the circuit voltage for actuating the'interrupter to open the circuit.

4. An interrupter for electric circuits comprising means dependent upon a predetermined relatively quick rate of change in the electricity transmitted through thecircuit for forcibly actuating the interrupter to open the circuit.

5. An interrupter for electric circuits that tends to occupy its open position and comprises means for holding it closed and means dependent upon a predetermined relatively quick rate of change in the electrical energy transmitted through the circuit for permitting it to open the circuit. 4

6. An interrupter for electric circuits comprising means dependent .upon a predetermined relatively quick rate of change in the circuit current for actuating the interrupter to open the circuit.

7. The combination with a direct current electric circuit, a source of energy therefor and an interrupter for the circuit, of means dependent upon a relatively quick rate of change in the energy traversing the circuit for actuatingthe interrupter.

-8. An interrupter for an electric circuit comprising relatively movable contact members and means dependent upon the relatively quick rate of electrical change in the circuit for quickly separating the contact members.

9. An interrupter for an electric circuit comprising relatively movable contact members, and means inductively connected to the electric circuit for tripping the interrupter in anticipation of a predetermined relatively quick electrical change in the circuit.

10. An interrupter for an electric circuit comprising relatively movable contact members, and means operatively connected to the electric circuit for tripping the interrupter in anticipation of a predetermined relatively quick electrical change in the circuit.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of Feb.,.

WILLIAM COOPER. Witnesses E. E. Ross, B. B. HrNEs. 

